Swimming glove



y 1943- H. D. EsLlcK 2,324,375

SWIMMING GLQVE Filed Sept. 8, 1942 J 5' I: INVENTOR.

HHRRY D. ESLIEK Cm. ,KQAMW Patented July 13, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE SWIMMING GLOVE Harry I). Eslick, San Francisco, Calif.

[application September 8, 1942, Serial No. 457,647

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in swimming devices and hasparticular reference to a swimming glove.

The principal object of this invention is to produce a glove which thewearer uses in swimming to increase the area of the hand in order tosecure a greater purchase on the water during the swimming stroke.

A further object is to produce a device of this character which iseconomical to manufacture, one which is adaptable to any form ofswimming stroke and one which does not require skill in learning to use.

A further object is to provide means for holding the glove on the handthrough the reactive force of the water against the tendency of theglove to leave the hand at certain portions of the stroke.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

Fig. I is a palm view of my improved glove.

Fig, II is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 ofFig. I.

In swimming it is customary for the person to hold the fingers closedtogether and to slightly cup the hand in order to secure as great apurchase as is possible on the water, so that the swimmer may reactagainst this water in order to secure motion of his body through thismedium.

It is, of course, well understood that if the fingers are spread apartthe water will pass therebetween and a great deal of the efliciency ofthe stroke will be lost.

Applicant has, therefore, devised a glove which permits the spreading ofthe fingers in a much more natural way than that of holding them closedtogether and by providing webs between the fingers to increase the areaof the hand to act upon a larger quantity of water during the swimmingstroke.

And further, applicant has provided means whereby pockets are formedbetween each of the fingers and between the front and back portion ofthe glove. These pockets serve to become filled with water in such amanner that the pressure of the water into these cups or pockets willtend to force the glove on to the hand, as will be later described.

In the drawing the numeral 5 designates the palm portion of the glove,which has short finger extensions 6, 1, 8 and 9, and a thumb extension lI.

The back portion of the glove is shown at 12 and is similar in contourto the palm portion, with the exception that it has no fingerextensions, but does have an extension visible in Fig. I, the margin ofwhich is tangent with the ends of the fingers and the thumb.

A separating strip I3 is stitched between the palm portion and the back,as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. I. This arrangement forms pockets[4, !8, El and 18 between the fingers and the front and back portion.One of these pockets is shown in Fig. II, the fingers occupying thespace A B.

The result of this construction is that when a person wearing the gloveattempts to swim the front part of the back portion will scoop waterinto the pockets l4, Hi, I! and 18, and also the palm portion willpresent a greater area, and therefore, the stroke of the swimmer willact upon a much larger area of water than without the use of my glove.

As the hand moves backwardly toward the completion of the stroke thepressure of water in the pockets l4 to H3 counteracts any tendency ofthe glove to leave the hand due to the movement of water past the handas the body moves forwardly.

As the hand leaves the water in the forward stroke, it is apparent thatany water in the pockets will immediately drain therefrom and will notadd to the effort of the swimmer.

It will thus be seen that I have produced a device which will accomplishall the objects above set forth.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A swimming glove having a palm portion and a back portion, aseparator strip secured to the margin of said palm portion, and saidback portion and sewed thereto in such a manner as to form fingers andpockets therebetween.

2. In a swimming glove, a palm portion having short finger extensionsand a back portion formed without fingers and having one margin thereoftangent with the ends of the finger portions of the palm section and aconnecting strip sewed between said palm and said back portion andforming fingers and pockets therebetween.

HARRY D. ESLICK.

